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Upright "Gatorade" Drink Cooler Not Cooling...

I have a Beverage Air commercial beverage cooler like you see in stores. The model number is MT21?

It quit cooling. I removed the vent cover at the bottom and the coils were very clogged with dust. I noticed that the coils were pretty warm and after I removed the dirt, they started to cool down (a little). Then the compressor kicked on and they the coils started getting HOT.

I unplugged the cooler and started looking on the internet for an explanation, with no luck.

Before doing anything, please be careful that you don't chop off your fingers in the sharp metal fan blade.

It is supposed to get warm down there when it is running, and the discharge pipe going from the compressor to the top of the coil will be hot. This is normal.

The condenser might still be packed with dust, though. You might want to try using a shop-vac or compressed air to clean it better if you haven't done so yet. It is normal for them to stop cooling when they get dirty like this. Those coils really should be cleaned on a regular schedule. Every couple of months or so.

Sometimes a good condenser cleaning is all they need to get working again. Other times, the dirty coil will cause the refrigerant oil to sludge up and internally clog up the system, and cause the compressor to overheat and wreck itself.